LANGSTON, Oklahoma — The stakes were considerably less than a year ago. No conference championship was on the line. No playoff berth was up for grabs.
This time, two oft-successful small college football programs were simply trying move a step closer to .500.
Langston moved within one victory of an even season Saturday night with a 17-14 victory over winless Southern Nazarene before an estimated 3,500 fans at W.E. Anderson Stadium.
Anthony Fernandez kicked a 37-yard field goal with 9:07 left in the game to give Langston (2-3) the lead for good. The field goal came four plays after the Lions kept the drive alive with a fourth-and-1 conversion plunge by quarterback Brendan Crawford. Fernandez, a senior who played soccer in high school in California, said there was no doubt the field goal was good. After that, he said, it was all up to the defense to keep the lead.
“Our team hasn't been down or anything like that,” Fernandez said of the Lions' slow start. “We've played some good teams, and we've lost some tough games. But this is a big confidence boost for us.”
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Monday, October 1, 2012
Tuskegee smothers Fort Valley State in a 49-18 victory
TUSKEGEE, Alabama - Tuskegee defeated Fort Valley State 49-18 on Saturday at Abbott Memorial Stadium. The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference matchup featured the top teams from the East and West Divisions. The Wildcats (3-2), coming off two straight conference victories, strolled into a hostile Golden Tigers (3-1) atmosphere looking to extend their win streak to three games.
On the first possession of the game quarterback Antonio Henton launched a 69-yard pass between two TU defenders to wide receiver Marquavious Trice for the touchdown. Tuskegee quickly responded scoring on a 57-yard run from running back Derrick Washington to tie the game at 7-7.
In the second quarter the Golden Tigers offense began to tear apart the Wildcat defense. TU scored four touchdowns in the second quarter and compiled 407 yards of total offense in the first half alone. Tuskegee's 77-yard touchdown with 14:44 left in the second half and a 66-yard run with 9:52 in the second quarter gave the Golden Tigers a 21-7 lead.
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Norfolk State offense is abysmal at S.C. State
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - Bad offenses struggle to reach the end zone. Norfolk State's barely got past midfield.The Spartans' offense was so bad that head coach Pete Adrian met with offensive coaches on the field, a back-up quarterback pondered its identity and the unit was outscored by South Carolina State's defense.
With the season just five games old, any significant chance at repeating last year's MEAC championship disappeared with the no-show offense in a 14-0 loss at South Carolina State (2-3, 1-1).
"We'll go back and evaluate film, evaluate very position," Adrian said. "We're not going to sit still. It's not going to be business as usual around here this week. That's what I was talking to them about right there."
The probable end of NSU's reign came early during a fourth consecutive slow start. The Spartans (2-3, 0-2), who have now been outscored 85-17 in the first half, trailed by a touchdown before the game was 2 minutes old. They were down 14-0 after one quarter.
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Reuther earns her 5th GCAC weekly award in 2 seasons
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| Taylor Reuther |
| NEW ORLEANS — For the second time this season and the fifth time in two years,
Xavier University of Louisiana's Taylor Reuther is the Gulf Coast Athletic
Conference Player of the Week in women's volleyball. Reuther, a 5-foot-7 sophomore outside hitter from Metairie, La., and a graduate of St. Mary's Dominican High School in New Orleans, led Xavier with 31 kills, 21 digs and 10 aces during a 3-0 week which extended the Gold Nuggets' school-record road win streak to 10. Reuther had nine kills, eight digs and two aces to help Xavier win in four sets at SUNO and snap the Lady Knights' school-record nine-match win streak. In a sweep of Fisk she had 14 kills, six digs and three aces — all five of her third-set attacks were kills — and she had eight kills, seven digs and five aces in a sweep of Philander Smith. |
Xavier's next match will start at 6 p.m. Friday against GCAC opponent Edward Waters at The Barn. It will be the first of three home matches in six days for the Gold Nuggets (10-4 overall, 4-0 GCAC).
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
XU's Erves, Joseph, Simmons are preseason All-GCAC
| NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Denzell Erves, Wanto Joseph and
Anthony Simmons have been selected to the All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
preseason men's basketball team by the GCAC head coaches. The conference
announced the 12-player team Monday. Xavier, 23-9 in 2011-12 and the GCAC regular-season co-champion, was the only school with more than two players chosen. |
 Denzell Erves |
 Wanto Joseph |
 Anthony Simmons |
Erves, a 6-foot-7 senior forward from Vicksburg, Miss., and a graduate of Vicksburg High School, averaged 9.5 points this past season and led the Gold Rush with 6.8 rebounds per game and 33 blocked shots. Erves was All-GCAC and a three-time GCAC Player of the Week in 2011-12, and his six double-doubles were the most by a Gold Rush player since the start of 2003-04.
Joseph, a 5-9 senior guard from New Orleans and a graduate of O. Perry Walker High School, averaged 8.6 points, 3.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds as a junior. He led the team with 43 steals, 89 free throws and 132 free throws attempted.
Simmons, a 6-8 senior forward from Rochester, N.Y., and a graduate of Allendale Columbia School, averaged 9.7 points and six rebounds and shot a team-best 62.9 percent from the floor a year ago. He's a two-time All-GCAC selection, and he was GCAC Player of the Week twice in 2011-12.
Xavier qualified six times in the past eight seasons for the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I National Championship. The Gold Rush season will begin in early November, and the schedule will be announced soon.
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| Name | School | Ht. | Year | Position | Notes (provided by coaches) |
| Kadon Day | Tougaloo | 6-5 | Junior | Forward | 2010-11 GCAC Freshman of the Year |
| Javon Demerson | Philander Smith | 6-11 | Junior | Center | Strong rebounder and scorer |
| Carlton Downing | Edward Waters | 6-7 | Junior | Forward | 12.9 points, 9.1 rebounds per game |
| Kevin Dukes | SUNO | 6-2 | Sophomore | Guard | 2011-12 GCAC Freshman of the Year |
| Denzell Erves | Xavier | 6-7 | Senior | Forward | 9.5 points, 6.8 rebounds per game |
| Juan Gray | Tougaloo | 6-0 | Senior | Guard | 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds per game |
| Wanto Joseph | Xavier | 5-9 | Senior | Guard | 8.6 points, 3.3 assists per game |
| Cameron Lewis | Fisk | 6-3 | Sophomore | Guard | Four 20+ point games last year |
| DeMarkus Lipscomb | Philander Smith | 5-9 | Senior | Guard | One of top defensive players |
| Darrell Miller | Fisk | 6-7 | Junior | Forward | 15 double-doubles last season |
| Clyde Moore | SUNO | 6-4 | Senior | Forward | 16.6 points, 8 rebounds per game |
| Anthony Simmons | Xavier | 6-8 | Senior | Forward | 9.7 points, 6 rebounds per game |
By Ed Cassiere, Sports Information Director
VISIT: XULAATHLETICS
VISIT: XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
Tennessee State Ranked 24th in Coaches Poll
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - After starting
the season 5-0 for the first time since 2001, Tennessee State broke into the Top
25, coming in at No. 24 in the FCS Coaches poll released on Monday. It marks the first time the Tigers have been ranked since Nov. 17, 2008, when they were 25th in both major polls. TSU was ranked as high as 18th that season when the team started the year 8-2.
TSU is one of just 11 undefeated teams left in the FCS and one of the six teams to have a 5-0 record.
The Tigers opponent this week, Eastern Kentucky, placed 16th in the Coaches poll. It is the highest ranking for the Colonels since they were 16th on Oct. 5, 2009, right before losing to Tennessee State that week.
Kick off is slated for 1 p.m. this Saturday at Hale Stadium.
COURTESY TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
Jackson State bounces back, downs Prairie View
JACKSON, Mississippi - On an otherwise dark, dreary and damp Saturday inside a partially filled Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson State running back Tommy Gooden flashed a smile that seemed to sum up the Tigers’ joyous mood.
One week removed from an ugly 28-21 loss to previously winless Southern University in their home opener, the Tigers slugged their way to a 34-13 win over winless Prairie View A&M before an announced crowd of 6,566. They did it behind their best rushing performance of the season.
JSU piled up a season-high 256 yards on the ground on 58 attempts — also a season high — to bury the Panthers. And it was Gooden leading the way with 135 yards. He even provided the exclamation point to the victory with a 15-yard touchdown run off the left tackle with 5:25 left.
Gooden’s 18 carries on the night matched his season total of 18 entering the game. Given the heavier workload, it was understandable he was a little slow getting to the interview room afterward.
JACKSON, Mississippi - Qua Cox and his Jackson State teammates entered Saturday’s game with Prairie View without a turnover to their name. That’s not the case today.
Cox intercepted a pair of passes and teammates Richard Hughes and Caleb Lester each had one pick apiece in the Tigers’ 34-13 victory. It came shortly after coach Rick Comegy challenged the redshirt junior to start making more plays and cause more turnovers.
Cox’s first pick was an acrobatic move that came after he appeared to be beaten. He showed off his closing speed and made a leaping pick in front of the Prairie View sideline. His second led to the eventual go-ahead touchdown for the Tigers.
Cox said he wasn’t surprised to see the Panthers attack his side so often. “I’m one of the best corners in the SWAC,” Cox said. “So if they want to go at me and try to think I’m not good, it is what it is.”
Prairie View coach Heishma Northern said he recently told one NFL scout Cox could play in the league “right now.”
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